{"product_id":"rodriguez-cold-fact-mobile-fidelity-numbered-edition","title":"Rodriguez - Cold Fact (Mobile Fidelity Numbered Edition)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSixto Rodriguez\u003c\/strong\u003e was showered with international acclaim owing to the varied arrangements, direct commentary, and evocative vocal performances on \u003cem\u003eCold Fact\u003c\/em\u003e. It would just take decades for it to happen. Originally released by Sussex Records in 1970, the singer-songwriter's debut quickly faded into obscurity and forced the Detroit native to go back to being a manual labourer. Yet, as much great art does, the album's melodic psychedelic folk and topically relevant lyrics ultimately found a large audience — and led to one of the most intriguing music stories of the 21st century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMastered at Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's California studio, strictly limited to 4,000 numbered copies, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, the reissue label's 180g 45RPM 2LP set presents \u003cem\u003eCold Fact\u003c\/em\u003e in definitive sound. It features terrific instrumental separation, tight and controlled bass, and a plethora of tasteful accents that frame Rodriguez's simple albeit charismatic voice. These and other prized sonic traits credited to \u003cstrong\u003eDennis Coffey\u003c\/strong\u003e's production come into clear focus via wide, well-defined 45RPM grooves, dead-quiet surfaces, and a low noise floor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the melodramatic strings and brief horn accents of the colourfully scenic \u003cem\u003eSugar Man\u003c\/em\u003e; to fuzz-distorted guitar lines and burbling bass notes of the dark \u003cem\u003eOnly Good for Conversation\u003c\/em\u003e; the intimate, insular architecture of the troubled acoustic-based ramble \u003cem\u003eInner City Blues\u003c\/em\u003e; the echoing percussion of the catchy, insistent \u003cem\u003eRich Folks Hoax\u003c\/em\u003e; and the broad openness that gives Rodriguez's words bite on tracks such as \u003cem\u003eCrucify Your Mind\u003c\/em\u003e, a kiss-off that hits with as much weight as his chronicling of urban ills such as poverty and day-to-day survival — all benefit from newfound presence, imaging, and transparency.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSought by Coffey and \u003cstrong\u003eMike Theodore\u003c\/strong\u003e after they saw him at a Detroit dive in the late '60s, Rodriguez stood out by way of his socially pertinent lyrics and tough-minded attitude. Coffey appraised him as nothing less than a \"Mexican \u003cstrong\u003eBob Dylan\u003c\/strong\u003e\" and got him into the studio with renowned instrumentalists, including \u003cstrong\u003eBob Babbitt\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eAndrew Smith\u003c\/strong\u003e; string support from the \u003cstrong\u003eDetroit Symphony Orchestra\u003c\/strong\u003e; and a horn section. Sessions for \u003cem\u003eCold Fact\u003c\/em\u003e wrapped in just two months. Despite the album earning favourable reviews, any hopes of Rodriguez ascending as a countercultural voice and rare Mexican-American star were dashed when the LP vanished with barely a trace.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThough he soon made a follow-up effort, \u003cem\u003eComing from Reality\u003c\/em\u003e, Rodriguez, too, would effectively disappear. As would Sussex Records, which went under in 1975. By then, Rodriguez had quit music, took lower-wage demolition and construction jobs, and purchased a government-auctioned home in the Motor City for only $50. He embraced the activist and protest streaks that inform many of his lyrics, becoming a community spokesperson and political candidate. Few outside of Rodriguez's inner circle knew of his past. In Australia and South Africa, however, the vocalist-guitarist was seen as a celebrity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy the late 1970s, Rodriguez's popularity Down Under led him to play a string of sold-out shows on the continent. He returned in 1981, opening for \u003cstrong\u003eMidnight Oil\u003c\/strong\u003e. All the while his status as a near-mythical icon in South Africa grew. Disillusioned by repressive policies connected to apartheid, media censorship, and military conscription, much of the country's younger generation embraced the anti-establishment and liberating narratives on \u003cem\u003eCold Fact\u003c\/em\u003e. How did this happen? It's believed an American who visited South Africa brought the album with her, played it for friends, and that it went viral as second- and third-hand copies spread. No one knows how many thousands upon thousands of bootleg copies were sold.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat is known is songs such as \u003cem\u003eThis Is Not a Song, It's an Outburst; Or, the Establishment Blues\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eI Wonder\u003c\/em\u003e resonated with a population starved for freedom and seeking revolution. \u003cem\u003eCold Fact\u003c\/em\u003e reportedly outperformed albums by \u003cstrong\u003eThe Beatles\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eElvis Presley\u003c\/strong\u003e. As far as the identity of its creator? Due to rumours and the singer's unknown status in America, most South African listeners thought Rodriguez dead. It would take nearly a quarter-century to dispel that lie, as well as a journey that resulted in the Academy Award-winning documentary \u003cem\u003eSearching for Sugar Man\u003c\/em\u003e, the film that brought Rodriguez's career full circle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore than 40 years after \u003cem\u003eCold Fact\u003c\/em\u003e appeared, the singer-songwriter finally got the attention he deserved in his native country. Feature stories and tours followed. Most importantly, the gritty realism and socially vital observations of \u003cem\u003eCold Fact\u003c\/em\u003e reached a wide audience. Having transcended its cult status and gone on to sell more than a quarter of a million copies Stateside, Rodriguez's debut entered a pantheon that includes records by Bob Dylan, \u003cstrong\u003eJoni Mitchell\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eLove\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003eCurtis Mayfield\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs they say, better late than never.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mobile Fidelity","offers":[{"title":"Numbered 180g 2LP 45RPM","offer_id":58713670156633,"sku":"SDZ-49457","price":79.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0588\/3455\/0945\/files\/d3d111b07e841a52556722c90731869ce27d635094788bc51ce32fc4ae576b8e.jpg?v=1785250153","url":"https:\/\/spindizzyrecords.com\/products\/rodriguez-cold-fact-mobile-fidelity-numbered-edition","provider":"Spindizzy Dublin","version":"1.0","type":"link"}